OAP’s parking fine victory as firm back down over £170 ticket at Home Bargains store

Pensioner Veronica Black has successfully had her parking ticket cancelled

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An infirm Doune pensioner, hit with a parking charge of £170 for exceeding the allotted time in Stirling’s Home Bargains car park by ten minutes, has had it cancelled.

It follows the Observer highlighting the matter and the intervention of Stirling MSP Bruce Crawford.

Veronica Black, who has a ‘blue badge’ disabled parking permit, had described private parking firm ParkingEye Ltd’s demand for £100 followed by two demands for £170 from a debt recovery firm as “harrassment” and “intimidation”.

The 78-year-old had parked her Fiat in the Whins of Milton store car park on Monday October 21 which has a limit of 90-minutes.

Stirling MSP Bruce Crawford last week wrote to ParkingEye to ask that they stop pursuing the pensioner.

Veronica, of Springbank Road, had spent around £100 during the Home Bargains shopping trip.

She was badly injured in a car accident in the late 1990s and as a result finds walking for any length of time difficult.

Veronica had repeatedly contacted the private parking firm by phone to explain her circumstances, but the company insisted the OAP lodge an appeal via their website or in writing.

Mrs Black, who cares for her 90-year-old husband Bill, who has dementia, said this week: “I think it is harrassment and bullying. It’s unacceptable.”

The Home Bargains store in Whins of Milton

She also pointed to the distress that the demands had caused her – the two £170 demands referred to court action. Mrs Black said: “I have got a lot on my plate with Bill having dementia - and my daughter Lesley, who lives in London, almost died recently due to a blood clot. This is the last thing I need.”

Stirling MSP Bruce Crawford said: “This appears to be an astronomically high fine. I understand that companies have to regulate their car parks, as they can be vulnerable to people using them outside of their intended purpose, but consideration should be given to individual circumstances and proportionality.

“This is clearly causing distress to my constituent, and such incidents will be causing similar upset to others too - not to mention hammering the pockets of those who automatically pay the fine without question.”

A ParkingEye spokesperson told the Observer this week that the charge had been cancelled and a letter informing Mrs Black of that was in the post.

He added: “ParkingEye operate a fully audited BPA (British Parking Association) appeals service, any motorist who feels they have mitigating circumstances are urged to appeal”

Home Bargains have pointed out that since their car park is operated by a third party it is not for them to comment on the matter.